Should You Use A Lease Or A Rental Agreement – Part II

A legally water-tight lease or a rental agreement in place helps to avoid landlord / tenant disputes and disagreements. If, there is no clear agreement in writing, you can be sure it is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Every small disagreement, whether over repairs, or charging of a late rent penalty fee by the landlord, or deductions made before handing over his / her security deposit to a departing tenant, all have the potential to escalate into a nasty legal battle. For instance, though a lease’s fine print stipulates a NO PETS policy, the landlord may not have noticed the cat / dog his / her tenant moved in. Well, what happens, when he / she finds out? You may be right, it could either be handled with a notice to remove the pet, or it may end up with an eviction notice, or in court.

This is just one of the few reasons it is necessary to have a lease or rental agreement, signed, sealed and delivered by both landlord and tenant. Not only will disputes and disagreements be avoided when there is a lease or rental agreement in place, the latter also ensure that key issues are dealt with in an appropriate manner. And, the end result is a stable and satisfactory landlord / tenant relationship, which benefits everyone concerned.